Culture+Exchange at the Collegium Hungaricum Berlin: the building exudes a Bauhaus atmosphere; a place where you immediately feel at home. The participants of the Making voices heard project also felt this when they spoke to the director Dr. Márta Nagy and her assistant Gergő Kovács on May 15, 2024.
Bauhaus and l’art pour l’art
It began with a guided tour of the building with its seven levels. Ms. Nagy drew attention to the numerous Hungarian Bauhaus students and teachers, including László Moholy-Nagy and Andor Weininger. The “Interiors” exhibition on the second floor had something of a charming provocation about it. The objects quickly make you think of utilitarian design. But the chair, reminiscent of swaying on an air mattress in the waters of Lake Balaton, is not intended to be used. Nor is the stool, which at first glance seems to be reminiscent of the monument to Jean Sibelius in Helsinki, or the woollen baby carrier bags. L’art pour l’art is the order of the day, and this interplay of art and purpose raises the question: How much art is (still) present in my life?
One hundred years of history
The group was then directed to a table on which postcards of the Collegium Hungaricum Berlin were displayed. Everyone could choose one or more. During the discussion in the large event hall, Dr. Nagy used the cards to talk about events in the CHB’s one hundred year history. The participants got to know a director who was approachable but unobtrusive, competent and yet unpretentious. This added to the pleasant atmosphere that the house exuded. And with her assistant, who is a generation younger, a few other aspects became clear. The role of the Hungarian Cultural Institute in the GDR as a place where people thought and spoke more freely than was the case in the official public sphere of the GDR was also discussed. The Hungarian Institute was probably always a special place.
The media paradox
And then a question opened up about the current perception of Hungary. The policies of the Hungarian government differ in some aspects (foreign policy, migration policy, etc.) from those in “Brussels” or the other EU governments. While Hungary was regarded as the “funniest hut under communism”, the country is now often viewed negatively. Do CHB employees feel this? The answer was a clear “yes” – and a reference to the media. A negative tone currently dominates. Differentiation and multi-layered perspectives on Hungary are lacking. As a result, interest in the culture, country and people is declining. Younger people in particular have little knowledge and are not very open to changing this. According to an interjection from the group, what is conveyed via the media often creates the feeling that they now know enough about the topic in question. A kind of saturation instead of an incitement to curiosity. Media should actually act as mediators, build bridges, mediate. Instead, they tend to create alienation.
Personal contact
The real, personal conversation, the exchange, getting to know “original sounds” in literature, theater, music, visual arts and knowledge about the history of the country, all this was therefore seen as an opportunity to open the horizon for each other.
“My familiarity with Europe has increased.” “What was new for me was that many Hungarians were Bauhaus students.” Two of the responses that participants gave following the discussion.
